Travel Snacks You'll Want to Bring On Your Next Road Trip 

MyRecipes
Updated: October 02, 2018
It's road trip time. You've packed up the car, filled bags with entertainment to keep the kids busy, and built the perfect playlist—but don't forget the snacks! Avoid making tons of stops on the way by keeping everyone well-fed on the go. Make these treats for a happy and flavorful car ride (minus the gas station bags of chips) with our guide to all things snacking.
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Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Candied Walnuts

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Stylist: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin  
Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Candied Walnuts Recipe

Yet another way to enjoy pumpkin spice this season. Gift these to friends as a festive treat, or enjoy them yourself with an autumnal beer. Make sure to use pure maple syrup, as pancake syrup will taste artificial and will likely overwhelm the spiced flavor. 

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S'mores Trail Mix

Thomas J. Story
S'mores Trail Mix Recipe
The name says it all—now you can enjoy the flavors of the classic campfire treat when you're on the go.

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Seasoned Saltine Crackers

Greg Dupree
Seasoned Saltine Crackers Recipe
Upgrade leftover saltine crackers with a touch of melted butter and the intense flavor of shichimi togarashi.
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Coconut, Almond, and Goji Bars

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin
Coconut, Almond, and Goji Bars Recipe
These homemade fruit-filled, nutty-flavored bars are perfect for weekend on the road. Packed with antioxidants and superfoods like coconut, almonds, and goji berries, these healthy, portable bars are way better than what you'll find at the store. Make a batch at the beginning of the week and carry this hearty snack around with you to have when you're running low on energy.

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Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese

Randy Mayor; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese Recipe
Bake these bite-sized frittatas in a miniature muffin pan. They taste great hot or at room temperature, so you can make them in advance, pack them up, and enjoy on the go.

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Savory Spiced Shortbreads

Annabelle Breakey
Savory Spiced Shortbreads Recipe
These buttery, curry-flavored shortbreads are perfect snacks. They are subtly sweet and just a touch spicy.
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Sesame-Soy Nut and Pretzel Mix

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Thom Driver
Sesame-Soy Nut and Pretzel Mix Recipe
Full of nuts, pretzels, and buttery cereal, our Asian-inspired mix brings plenty of crunch and bold, salty flavor.

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Spicy-Sweet Pecans

Photo: Helen Norman; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Spicy-Sweet Pecans Recipe
These pecans are coated with a unique blend of sweet cinnamon and sugar with savory rosemary, ginger, and red pepper. The egg white helps the spice mixture adhere evenly and gives the pecans a crisp, glossy coating.

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Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck
Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons Recipe
Pecan-Rosemary-Cheddar Buttons combine nutty pecans and earthy rosemary to create a robust riff on the average Cheddar cheese straw.
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Salted Candied Almonds

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst
Salted Candied Almonds Recipe
These salty and sweet almond treats are easy to make ahead. Just let the mixture cool on parchment paper, and break apart for a quick treat.

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Brown Sugar-Spiced Nut Mix

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Paige Hicks
Brown Sugar-Spiced Nut Mix Recipe
A bowl of nuts is a coffee table staple, and this sweet-hot crispy mix is perfect for passing around a packed car.

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Double-Chocolate Cereal Treats

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Double-Chocolate Cereal Treats Recipe
Skip your boring breakfast and opt for these decadent chocolate-on-chocolate cookies that boast full satisfaction and a dose of whole-grain goodness. Rich, decadent, and ultra-crispy, these healthy, bite-size snacks are the perfect start to the day. And they're ready to eat in a fraction of the time needed to prepare typical sweet treats.
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Boiled Edamame

James Carrier
Boiled Edamame Recipe
A simple boiled edamame packs a ton of filling protein, and a delicious travel time snack.

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No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars Recipe
These bars are a perfectly portable snack you can prep on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week. Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge. The bars will continue to firm up as they chill.

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Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers Recipe
Dried cranberries give a slightly sweet flavor to crispy, buttery Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Wafers.
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Cranberry Oat Bars

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Cranberry Oat Bars Recipe
Pass these to the back seat, because kids will love to snack on these oat bars filled with a sweet cranberry mixture.

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Apple-Oat Energy Balls

Sara Tane
Apple-Oat Energy Balls Recipe
Long road trips have nothing on these tasty, filling snacks. If you don't have almond butter (or have a picky eater in the house), feel free to swap out for peanut butter or your nut butter of choice.

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Crispy Potato Chips

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Crispy Potato Chips Recipe
Slice potatoes as thin as possible for a super-crunchy bite. Then add whatever flavorings you have on hand.
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Crisp and Spicy Snack Mix

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Crisp and Spicy Snack Mix Recipe
A simple blend of your favorite snacks come together with a touch of ginger stir-fry sauce, chili powder, and cumin.

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Togarashi-Spiced Snack Mix

Greg Dupree
Togarashi-Spiced Snack Mix Recipe
All of those specialty snacks you have tucked away (wasabi peas and shrimp cracker fries) have finally found their home in the ultimate snack mix.

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All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Pam Lolley
All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
If chocolate chip cookies are your favorite cookies, whip up a batch of these—they're the best of the best.
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Marshmallow Popcorn Treats with Dark Chocolate Drizzle

Photo: Jason Varney; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Marshmallow Popcorn Treats with Dark Chocolate Drizzle Recipe
Reminiscent of classic popcorn balls, these salty-sweet treats make for awesome low-fat, road trip-friendly snacking. Make a batch with the kids this weekend to enjoy during the ride.

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Cereal and Milk Bars

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford
Cereal and Milk Bars Recipe
These crowd-pleasers deliver flavors that take you straight back to childhood bliss.

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Coconut-Pecan Caramel Popcorn

Photographer: Gina DeSimone; Prop Stylist: Kashara Johnson; Food Stylist: Briana Riddock
Coconut-Pecan Caramel Popcorn Recipe
With the addition coconut flakes and pecans, this is the amped-up version of your traditional caramel popcorn is all kinds of addictive. Once you make a batch, chances are it will disappear before the day is out—so consider doubling the recipe. The combination of caramel and pecans delivers delicious praline vibes, while the coconut’s subtle chew adds a hint of tropical flavor.
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Peanut Butter-Chocolate Bars

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Bars Recipe
These homemade bars combine peanut butter and chocolate to make a tasty road trip treat.

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Pistachio-Apple Bars with Chia Seeds

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin
Pistachio-Apple Bars with Chia Seeds Recipe
These homemade bars combine fruit and nut flavors to make a tasty snack.

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Spicy, Barely Sweet Supercrunch Granola

Photo: Greg DuPree
Spicy, Barely Sweet Supercrunch Granola Recipe
Our supremely crunchy, irresistible granola tastes like party mix. It stores well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
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Chewy Peanut Bars

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen
Chewy Peanut Bars Recipe
These chocolate-peanut blondies truly surprised us. They're cooked in the microwave, and use staple ingredients you probably already have on hand.

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Cheesy Pita Chips

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen
Cheesy Pita Chips Recipe
Slice pita into wedges and bake away for a crispy crunch. They get a savory topping of manchego cheese and spices for the perfect salty snack.

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Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon
Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips Recipe
A delicious blend of powdered buttermilk, garlic powder, sea salt, dried dill, sugar, and onion powder add flavor to simple, baked chips.
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Maple-Pecan Popcorn

Photo: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps
Maple-Pecan Popcorn Recipe
If sweet and salty is your go-to treat, then this one's for you. Popcorn and pecans are drowned in a buttery maple syrup mixture, creating a gooey bite.

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Everything Rugelach with Ricotta and Dill

Sara Tane
Everything Rugelach with Ricotta and Dill Recipe
Everybody's favorite Jewish cookie gets a savory makeover in this salty, crunchy treat. Perfect for an on-the-road snack, this everything rugelach is the perfect marriage between flaky dough and classic everything bagel toppings. With just four ingredients in the dough, this pastry is super simple and requires little effort or grunt work, as the food processor does all the mixing for you.

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Triple-Berry Muffins

Photo and Styling: Katelyn Hanley
Triple-Berry Muffins Recipe
Here's a snack muffin you don't have to feel bad about. We opted for canola oil over butter, incorporated 50% white whole-wheat flour, and kept the added sugar low by leaning on the sweetness of ripe summer strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Peaches will be a welcome addition later in the season.
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Almond Joy Candied Bacon

Photo: Daniel Agee
Almond Joy Candied Bacon Recipe
Got leftover candy? 3-ingredient candied bacon makes an indulgent sweet snack that will leave you begging for more.

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Turkey and Swiss Pinwheels

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin
Turkey and Swiss Pinwheels Recipe
These turkey and swiss roll ups are perfect for packing kids' snacks on the go.

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Rosemary Popcorn

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen
Rosemary Popcorn Recipe
Take a bag of popcorn to the next level with sprinkle of fresh rosemary and garlic powder.
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Cheddar Cheese Snack Crackers

Photo: Oxmoor House
Cheddar Cheese Snack Crackers Recipe
Skip the store-bought version and create your own cheesy snack crackers for afternoon snacking.

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Maple-Sumac Roasted Walnuts

Justin Walker
Maple-Sumac Roasted Walnuts Recipe
Here's a perfectly simple and delicious snack. A little sumac adds a bright piney-citrusy note. Look for it at specialty spice stores. A tablespoon of lemon rind can sub for sumac, if you prefer.

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Miso-Caramel-Tamari Popcorn Mix

Jennifer Causey
Miso-Caramel-Tamari Popcorn Mix Recipe
A slightly thicker caramel and the addition of whole roasted almonds turn traditional caramel popcorn into gift-worthy popcorn mix. We use less sugar in the glaze and cut the sweetness with mild white miso (fermented soybean paste) and tamari (a richer, wheat-free soy sauce) for a salty-savory note that makes the snack incredibly addictive.
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Crispy Parmesan Chickpeas

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine 
Crispy Parmesan Chickpeas Recipe
Dry your chickpeas as thoroughly as possible before cooking to ensure a satisfyingly crisp result. If you're planning to pack these flavor-coated, fiber-filled poppers as a to-go snack, be sure to allow them to cool completely on a flat surface first.

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Tahini-Oat Energy Balls

Sara Tane
Tahini-Oat Energy Balls Recipe
For a quick, pick-me-up snack when you're on the go, these easy tahini-oat bites are the perfect solution. Full of hearty nuts and creamy tahini, they offer just the right amount of sweet satisfaction. A pinch of salt balances the flavor and brings it all together. Make a big batch at the beginning of the week and keep them on hand for emergency snack situations.
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